HIV Advances Prompt Reanalysis of USPSTF Screening Policies
(AUDIO) US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations for HIV screening may come into line with CDC guidelines thanks to a reanalysis of recent outcomes data. Here clinical epidemiologist Roger Chou MD, who conducted the analysis, describes the new evidence and the implications.
Recent advances against HIV and AIDS have led the US Preventive Services Task Force to reassess its 2008 guidelines for screening. What has led to this reanalysis, and what are the likely changes?
Here clinical epidemiologist Roger Chou MD, who conducted the analysis, describes the new evidence and the implications for practice.
Dr. Chou is Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine and Scientific Director of the Oregon Evidence-based Practice Center.
The questions:
1. Please start by telling us why you did the study and what you found.
2. Remind us what the current guidelines recommend on screening.
3. Should we anticipate seeing the Preventive Task Force recommendation change based on this review?
4. So to have these two organizations in synch with their recommendations ... does that give more weight to physicians when they are recommending that patients be screened?
HIV Advances Prompt Reanalysis of USPSTF Screening Policies
Key quotes:
"Two pieces of data together suggest that the benefits of screening and treatment might be higher because you will be treating a lot more patients who will be benefitting themselves as well as reducing transmission."
"Their (draft) recommendation has changed and it is now to recommend screening in all persons aged 15 to 65, regardless of assessed risk."
Reference:
Cho R, Selph S, Dana T, et al. Screening for HIV: Systematic Review to Update the 2005 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation.Ann Intern Med. (2012) Nov 20;157(10):706-18. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-157-10-201211200-00007.
